The Wild Wolf Woman
by AkiraYuni
Summary: In the early 13th century, there had been a Xia soldier, the single survivor of her unit that was massacred by the forces led by a Mongol prince. Driven by revenge, her merciless killing led her to be called the "Evil One," a woman whom the Mongols feared greatly. Her nickname was Shut Hell. Later on she was captured and then hung to death. But...that was not the end...
1. Prologue

**A/N: Starts from chapter 18 to chapter 19 of the Shut Hell manga.**

 ** **P.S. I imagine that what Yurul played for Shut Hell was this song.****

 ** **www. youtube watch?t=36 &v =f1VioYEA9Pc (Just remove the spaces)****

* * *

The night before my execution, I was stripped off of my clothes and my hands and feet were in wooden shackles. I was gagged with a white cloth. As I tried to sleep, all of a sudden, the cloth was untied and my body moved backwards, falling to the ground.

I was overjoyed to see a familiar face before my execution. "Yurul! You're not sick anymore!" I cried out in joy. He remained silent though, still trying to break the cage that held me. My smile turned into a sad one. "It's useless, you can't break this cage by yourself."

"Don't feel ashamed, Yurul." I said. "Being the only one to survive, thinking you're a coward, wanting to cry so much that it hurts, I know exactly how you feel. That time, I, alone, survived, but then, I was able to meet you."

I struggled to write characters on the ground but did not falter. "And now look, I can even write like you taught me."

He stopped and dropped the metal pole he had been using to try to break the cage. "I can teach you...so much more, if only...we had...more time..."

"For the one who protects the Tangut's legacy." I began. "For your "nice words"... I tried to change the way I lived...That day, I blamed myself for having survived. I killed and killed, but I was actually waiting for my own demise."

Yurul began to cry, clenching his hat so hard so that he could hide his tears. "It's my fault...my "nice words" will kill you..."

"You're wrong." My face held a look of gratefulness. "You gave me back my life. Don't cry Yurul...thank you. Whether you can protect Tangut's legacy or not, I love you."

I looked up though my face was hidden by my bangs. "Yurul, you don't have to dig me a grave. Instead, could you please, before dawn, play that song for me?" I requested.

I listened to the soulful music until the darkness began to recede and light was starting to rise.

"Don't come to the execution, forget about me." I told him.

"I can't do that, I could never forget you..." He said. I turned to see his eyes red and puffy and still full of tears.

 _Hmph, silly kid._

"That string..." I muttered and he immediately understood.

He cut it with a knife and then tied into a neat tie. He placed it near my face and I grabbed it with my mouth then swallowed it. "Go, now." I ordered him. "Your song will always be with me."

After he left, the time soon came. I was forcefully pulled out of the cage and started to walk towards my death.

As I walked, I watched as the Mongol soldiers burned all of the writings that belonged to the Tangut's.

"Burn them! Burn them all! Erase all Tangut existence in this city!" They shouted.

 _...What the...? There is no trace of the city being burned or destroyed. Did they surrender as soon as the Mongols were in sight? Did this happen...only for the king to surrender the city immediately?_

"Walk faster! What's wrong "Evil One," feeling tired?" A Mongol soldier riding a horse behind her, mocked her. "It will be all over for you soon, anyway."

... _That's right...I'm so tired..._

" **Crush her limbs, cut off her head! Tear her body apart until she doesn't look like a human anymore! She is the "Evil One," our people's enemy!** " Soldiers who belonged to the Bektel troops shouted.

"You won't even need to use a rope." One commented.

"Oi, Tsog clan, do you hear us?"

They were immediately silenced by other soldiers from their own army. "The execution is to be conducted by Harabal of the Tsog clan. Those are the orders of the Great Khan. Bektel's soldiers are only to be witnesses. The Great Khan has been truly impressed by the Tsog clan until now." A high-ranked soldier spoke. "The rest of you, GO BACK TO WORK NOW!"

I soon approached the place where I was to be hung. My eyes locked with Harabal. "The tiger..." I spoke. "...My only regret is not being able to rip off your throat before I go..."

"I don't mind if you wish to curse me...The poison is gone...my little brother is safe." He said.

"I know that." I muttered.

I stared at loop of the rope in front of me. I saw the backs of my fallen comrades and remembered their words. _Let's meet in Khar Khot._

 _I could not kill our enemy... I was too late..._

 _ **It will all vanish**. _

_Even if I vanish, here, today...it's fine, because now there is someone who will never forget about us. Are you all waiting for me? I'll be with you soon..._

"Put the rope around her neck."

My eyes were closed and then I heard a sound. I opened my eyes to look up and found a figure on top of the roof. It was Yurul holding a bow and had it pointed down towards my direction.

"YUURUUUL!" Tigerman yelled at him. "ARE YOU REALLY POINTING A BOW AT YOUR BIG BROTHER!? THAT'S A GOOD STANCE YOU'VE GOT! SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE NOT A KID ANYMORE!"

And then an arrow was released.

"AS YOU DESIRE, WE ARE NOW ENEMIES!" He shouted. "HANG HER!"

The rope was suddenly pulled from behind me and my neck was being strangled. " _ **Gu**..._ " I grunted in pain.

The arrow Yurul released almost managed to cut the rope. _Yurul...Yurul...doing this stupid thing...will only result in you being chased...!_ I chastised him in my thoughts.

Another arrow was released only for it to be cut down by the man wearing tiger skin on his head before me. " **You won't cut it!** " He yelled. " **Your bow is weak! Your will is weak! Because this is the kind of life you chose!** "

He launched an arrow at Yurul but Yurul somehow managed to dodge it. " **FROM NOW ON, YURUL IS AN ENEMY TO OUR CLAN! YOU ARE ALLOWED TO KILL HIM!** "

 _I shouldn't have given up so fast! I should have at least fought a little on the way to the gallows!_ I suddenly regretted.

"Heave!"

 _"I'm tired" "It's okay to give up now" I forced my views onto Yurul. Once again, I acted like a coward...Yurul will be killed because of me, because I'm such a coward, because he could not resign himself to let go of my death!_

 _" **SHUT HELL!** "_ Yurul yelled my name.

"HANG HER!"

 _Yurul...!_

" _SHUT HELL!"_ He yelled my name once again.

 _Yurul! You can't die like this, you can't...!_

The oxygen left my lungs, I could no longer breathe properly. This was my other regret. _Why did I not fight some more?! Why?!_

 _ **Yurul...**_


	2. Chapter 1: The Cycle of Rebirth

Two years after the Singularity had been born, an infant with vibrant crimson hair and a pair of orbs that reflected the color of fire itself, was born. She was named as Ylva, which meant "she-wolf." The name was given to her due to the unique cry she had let out when she was born, it was similar to a wolf's cry.

As Ylva grew up in Tison Village, one of the villages located in the Parthevia Empire, her parents noticed that something was odd with her. Her first word had been "Yurul," it baffled them as to why that had been the first thing she spoke but nevertheless, they were overjoyed that she finally spoke.

Already a year old, Ylva struggled with all her feeble strength to learn how to walk. Her parents were very careful with her and tried to persuade her to slow down but she did not. At first, it had been that way but eventually she slowed down, albeit not as immediate as they had wanted to.

After a few months of practicing, she could finally walk although she needed help at times. Her vocabulary soon grew and she could speak a few words without the baby slur. It was a miracle for her parents, they thought that she was a genius and dotted on her as much as they could.

But that backfired against their attempts, she did not like their affection too much and often found themselves being bitten or growled at. She was really acting like a beast. They thought she was being possessed by an evil spirit but that was their mere assumption. It changed when they found their daughter acting civil with them at some times.

They had no choice but to back away when she refused their aid. She only came to them when she was hungry or when she could not do some things by herself. It was heartbreaking really, their one-year old daughter was acting too much like a stranger that it scared them.

She acted too formal or too wild, they could not decide what was scarier.

That changed when she spoke to them of how she made a friend whose name was Sinbad, the son of Badr, the single survivor of a recent expedition. The tale went like this:

* * *

Ylva was walking in streets without any of her parents again but the other villagefolk did not mind her, they were already used to seeing the child like that. She had simply roamed around until she bumped into another figure. She snapped out of her daze to find a three-year old boy with purple hair and a pair of golden eyes looking at her.

"I'm sorry!" He cried out to her but she shook her head and told him that she was alright.

"My name is Sinbad and I'm sneaking off to look for my daddy!" He exclaimed in enthusiasm.

"I'm Ylva." She introduced herself.

His eyes suddenly brightened and he tugged at her hand. "Come with me! We'll look for my daddy together!" He said without bothering to ask her what she thought about the matter.

She didn't bother to fight back anymore, it was useless to fight against a hyperactive child.

Together they went to the docks and waited for his father, when they finally spotted him, she noticed that his face looked solemn but Sinbad didn't seem to notice that.

"The war, huh...Everyone is delirious with the war. Is it alright to continue like this?" She heard him question himself.

"Alright! At times like this, just head out for the sea! Catch a tasty fish and I can head home!" His demeanor suddenly changed as if trying to shake the thought off his head.

As he was busy with his thoughts, Sinbad pulled Ylva once again and this time into his father's boat. They hid under the net and he soon fell asleep while she remained awake.

She could feel the lull of the waves and soon fell asleep herself (she couldn't help it after all, she was just a year old). She awoke when she heard the net being pulled away.

She blinked her eyes as she watched the man go through shock, Sinbad woke up soon after and stood up energetically. "Daddy!"

"Sinbad! Why are you here!?" His dad exclaimed in surprise and then he noticed the other child. "And who's this!?"

"I'm Ylva, sir." She replied stoically. It unnerved him a bit at her behavior.

He soon calmed down and placed his child into his arms. He turned to look at the other one who watched him in total silence which was quite unusual. "I see, so you two sneaked into my boat as I had set sail. Won't your parents get worried, Ylva?" He spoke to her.

"I'm sure dey will but I will egsplain it to dem wen I get back," she answered in her baby slur.

"Alright..."

The sky started to darken and rain fell. "Uh-oh, it's starting to rain. Better get ashore before it gets dangerous." He said. Ylva watched him as he worked out trying to find the correct path and did not say anything. Soon he forgot about her presence in the midst of the dangerous storm. She simply clung to him.

"What crazy storm is this? I can barely see anything." He muttered.

"Daddy." Sinbad called out to his father's attention. He pointed to the opposite direction with his small, chubby hand. "There. It's that way. Not this way. That way."

Badr struggled with his thoughts but he could see the confidence in his son's eyes. What made him finally follow his son's words was when Ylva spoke. "Yu shuld fallow him. It's obyus, right?" She said and he nodded in response.

He worked his way through the storm and finally got out of it. When they were finally away from the stormy seas, Ylva separated herself from him and sat down at the side.

"We got out...of the storm..."

He was dumbfounded. "Hooray! Daddy! Ylva!" Sinbad cheered in triumph.

Badr seemed to have had a quick flashback before he spoke. "It's the same as back then. We took refuge with your direction, and we got out safely thanks to you. Why I followed a newborn baby...it's beyond me. But now I understand. Sin, perhaps you have a special power. Unlike ordinary people, you have the power to choose the right fate!" He said with conviction.

"When you grow up and bring your ability into full play, for this country and people who stepped onto the wrong path, you might become the man to change them. And even the world."

He raised up Sinbad by the armpits. "That's right...you are the chosen one! You've been chosen by a great being...that must be it!"

"Sinbad, you'll become the man who changes the world!"

Ylva simply watched in silence. She looked at her small hands. _Fate, huh...? I wonder why I was born into this world with my memories still intact? Was I supposed to bring some change into this world too? Wait, no, why should it be that way? Perhaps it was just a coincidence that I was born like this._

 _I miss you Yurul, you were my only other regret. I hope you managed to escape and live a long life at least._

They soon arrived back at the docks. They parted ways but not before Sinbad ran to hug her. She was a bit puzzled, why would he hug her? She did nothing but watch and stare. She sighed and hugged him back.

"See you, Ylva!"

* * *

Ylva omitted some parts but that was the gist of it. Her father and her mother became excited. "You met Badr!? That's amazing! He's an amazing guy!" They exclaimed and went off into their own little world.

She sighed and ate her dinner before going to bed.


	3. Chapter 2: Goodbye

It was another two years that had passed and Ylva was no longer a one-year old child but was instead a three-year old child now. Surprisingly, despite her beast-like and also mature personality, it didn't scare away Sinbad like the rest of the other children. She found it sad though that his family were being called expatriates just because they weren't contributing anything for the war. The villagers were fools, even her parents were. They ordered her not to go near them but she disobeyed their orders. She was her own person, no one would change that.

As of now, they were currently playing together when they heard his mother, Esla, calling for him.

"Sin! Hey, Sinbad~" His mother called out.

Then the two of them came out from the bushes and he ran towards his mother who pulled him into a hug. She noticed her slowly making her way towards them.

"Oh Ylva, it's nice to see you again. Where did the two of you run off this time?" She asked, she seemed really happy that the girl wasn't scared of being with her son despite the distasteful title.

"Hehehe, we went on an adventure all the way to the well!" He stated proudly, answering for her instead. "I'm not a kid anymore! So I can go anywhere I want!"

"Well, in that case, Sin, would you take this, please?" His mother requested while handing to him a huge bundle wrapped in a white cloth. "It's lunch. Looks like your father forgot his lunch again."

"Please go with him too, Ylva. I'd be happy that someone is with him." She added, this time directed towards her.

"Hai, Esla-obasan." Ylva answered politely before heading off to the port with Sinbad.

They soon arrived to find his father muttering mad things to himself. "DADDYYYY!" Sinbad yelled out. "You forgot your lunch!"

"Aah, you really saved me! I was starting to think I'd have to eat all the fish I've already caught!" Badr (Sinbad's father) said in a happy tone. "Thanks Sin! You really did great!"

He paused for a moment as if remembering something. "By chance, did Ylva come with you again?" He asked.

Sinbad's eyes twinkled. "Yeah, daddy! She came with me but then left as soon as I was here!" He pouted at the end. He seemed a little mad, Badr thought.

"I see."

Meanwhile, Ylva, who separated from Sinbad, came across something as they ran together. Her eyes noticed something similar to a fang when she passed by a random shop. She bid Sinbad goodbye and went to check on it.

She pointed to it whie looking at the seller. The seller was an old woman who seemed to have a kind aura around her. Ylva could immediately tell that she was trustworthy due to her beast-like instincts.

"Oh dearie, is that what you would like?"

She nodded at once. The old woman laughed. "Hohoho, to think that fang would be what caught your attention. Why do you like it, dearie?" She asked.

"It reminds me of a wolf's fang." Ylva answered. "And I like wolves."

"Hmm..." The old woman stared at her for a moment as if trying to read her. "You have the scent of a beast...which is quite interesting...Tell you what, I'll give that to you for free just because I like you."

"Really, obaa-san?" Ylva certainly looked more like a child now. Her eyes were practically sparkling. She really had a huge love for wolves and wished she could leave the village to search for them. Shut Hell may have killed them in her past life but they were very similar in ways.

"It's really okay, go ahead and get it, I don't mind, dearie."

"Arigatou, obaa-san! (Thank you, grandmother!)" She said before bowing in goodbye. She was heading to the port to see Sinbad and his father now but when she saw the scene in front of her, it made her blood boil.

" **STOP MESSING AROUND WITH US!** "

A bunch of fools were yelling at Sinbad's father and beating him up. Sinbad himself was crying in fear at the side. Ylva took a deep breath before approaching them. Once she was behind them, she let out an ear-piercing shriek that made the fools cower in surprise.

"What was that?" One of them screamed.

"Gaa! That was painful to my ears!"

"It's that child who did it, wasn't it!?" One of them pointed his finger to her and was about to lunge at her for interrupting them when she narrowed her eyes at them.

Instantly they felt fear and cowered away from her. She snarled and growled at them, threatening to bite them. It may have seemed she was just acting like a wild child but no, that was not the case. Their fear was of being devoured by the small child in front of them. Her eyes promised pain, a _large_ amount of pain, or perhaps even death. They ran away as if they were being chased by the devil itself.

Badr approached her cautiously. "Ylva, what was that? I could feel your bloodthirsty aura just from being over there." He pointed to the area where he was lying on before approaching her.

She did not speak and shook her head. It seemed that she did not want to answer his question. Badr sighed. Oh well, he couldn't force her, if she didn't want to talk then he would let it slide for now. The only question that was on his mind for now was how on earth could she have released that kind of killing intent.

"Ara?" His body suddenly felt weak, his legs collapsed and he fell sideways to the ground. He turned his body so he was now lying on his back. "I can't seem to move?" He stated though it seemed more of a question.

"Daddy!" Sinbad cried out as he rushed to his father's side.

"Sin..." He muttered.

"You're alright, daddy!" The little boy said in relief though there were tears in his eyes.

"Oww...oww...They sure put in some theatrics and try to do me in...Sin, are you okay?" Badr asked his son as he slowly got up despite feeling weak. He truly was an ex-soldier, no normal person would be able to get up like that if they were badly beaten up.

"Yup..."

Badr noticed that the lunch his wife made was ruined and that there was sand covering it. He laughed it off like it was no big deal and dusted the sand off so he could still eat it. His son looked irritated by something and then shouted out his feelings to his father.

"Why...Why didn't you, daddy!? Daddy's a retired soldier, right? If you got serious, you could take them out in one go! Why didn't you do anything!?" Sinbad shouted.

"Hey now! There's no way I can win with just one leg!" He laughed it off again.

Sinbad was even more annoyed. He started yelling out lots of different things to his father and then ran away after seeing that he was still smiling as if there was nothing wrong. Ylva sighed and then approached Badr.

"You really shouldn't act like that, Badr-ojisan. Now Sinbad is angry with you." Her eyes flitted to the side and she saw the state his boat was in. "I bet Esla-obasan will get angry at you too for acting like that."

"Now, now, Ylva-chan, I'm sure she wouldn't..." He paused when he saw her eyes narrowing. "Alright, alright, I guess she would get mad. Don't worry though, I'll think of something!"

"Yeah, right." She murmured before leaving.

* * *

"Ylva! Ylva!" Three days later after the incident, Sinbad came barreling towards her full of excitement. He looked so enthusiastic and pulled her again. She didn't really bother anymore, she was used to it already.

"What is it, Sinbad?" She asked as they ran together. "I wanna let you meet somebody, he's a really nice mister! He tells me lots of stories everyday!" He answered excitedly.

Ylva nodded and then they slowed down when they reached his home. The wind picked up and something swayed with it around her neck. Looking closer, it turned out to be the same fang that she received from the old lady three days ago.

They entered his house and there she saw a tall man with blond hair. _What an odd color,_ she thought. "Ylva! This is Darius-san! He's the nice mister who tells me lots of great stories!" Sinbad introduced him enthusiastically and then turned to her. "Mister! Mister! This is Ylva! She's my best friend!"

"I see, nice to meet you, Ylva." He said with a small smile.

But Ylva didn't like him when she got closer. He wasn't to be _trusted._ He had an air around him that was full of unease, she could smell it easily. Her instincts was also warning her but she didn't do anything for now, knowing that since Badr-ojisan didn't immediately tell on him, he trusted him for now.

She listened to his stories and found that she liked them too despite not liking the person who spoke of the tales. Shut Hell agreed bitterly from within her.

A few days later, Parthevia soldiers visited Tison Village and they said that they were looking for an enemy spy on the run, they also mentioned it to be reported to them at once, once the villagers had seen him.

The truth was that Darius, the one who had been saved and cared for by Sinbad's family, was actually the enemy spy who had hailed from the Reim Empire.

He was currently holding Sinbad hostage with a knife to the little boy's throat. A crowd was formed around the two. "Sinbad!" Esla cried out to her child. "Mommy!" Sinbad cried back.

"STAY BACK! ANY STRANGE MOVEMENTS, AND THIS KID WILL GET IT!" Darius shouted. "I'm serious...HEY! MOVE IT, CLEAR A PATH!"

The villagers screamed in fear. One of them made mention to call the soldiers but Darius threatened them not to. Sinbad yelled out to him in confusion and tears why he was doing this. Darius answered to the boy that this was the real him, he would resort to any thing just to survive.

He then proceeded to shout orders to Sinbad's mother for things he would need but she couldn't do anything alone so she looked to her sides and the other villagers moved back. Esla begged them for help but they had no desire to do so. All of them answered with foolish reasons but it all boiled down to one certain reason, it was because they were _expatriates_.

Her legs collapsed and she found herself in tears. Darius clicked his tongue in annoyance and threatened the villagers with his sword. All of a sudden, Badr appeared from within the crowd and was trying to calmly persuade the man to let his son go but Darius refused to.

He even went on his knees and laid his forehead on the ground as he begged for Sinbad's release and the man's surrender. Darius was aghast by the man's words and became angry, he shoved the tip of the sword into his hostage's mouth.

" _ **I don't take orders from some cowardly expatriate!**_ " He yelled out.

Badr gritted his teeth and was about to shove his sword into the man's body when a shadow suddenly appeared in front of the man threatening his son's life. The one who had appeared was none other than Ylva, the three-year old friend of his son.

Her crimson red hair was in a mess, her eyes looked even more fiery than usual. She was on fours and she growled loudly. Darius felt that something was off with the child and once he locked eyes with her, that's when he knew he was scared.

She let out a huge amount of killing intent and then pounced on him. He was pushed to the ground and had no choice but to let Sinbad go. Badr immediately took the boy in his arms and covered his eyes.

"Ku, kukukuku..." Ylva cackled madly. Her head moved closer to his neck and then she bit off a huge chunk of his skin. Blood sprayed out and landed on her hands and clothes. She rested her ear on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

"It's no use, I tore off something vital in your neck. I can hear your pulse growing fainter...Your blood is flowing...until your heart stops completely..." She spoke softly though there was some kind of intensity.

Once his heart stopped beating completely and she could no longer hear his pulse, she slowly got off him and wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand. Her parents watched her in horror and they screamed, backing away as she moved.

Badr removed his hand from Sinbad's eyes. "Ylva-chan...?" The little boy whispered. Ylva looked straight into his eyes and he in return, could see the intensity in her own. She suddenly broke contact and her eyes went to look at his father instead. They seemed to be silently communicating about something.

Sinbad's mind was in turmoil, he couldn't understand what was happening. The nice mister was actually a bad man? Why was the nice mister on the ground? What is happening?

"Sin."

His best friend's voice called out to him. He turned to look at her as she wiped off the blood from her hands onto her clothes. It was only then that he noticed that his father had put him down and that he was on the ground now. She placed her clean hand on his cheek and gave him a sad smile.

"I'm leaving Tison Village." She said sadly.

"Wait, why, Ylva-chan?!" Sinbad asked in a surprised tone. Her hand moved to pat his head, he pouted, he was older than her! "I did something bad and my parents won't accept me now. I have nowhere else to live but go somewhere far away."

"But, but - "

"Don't look for me and don't worry, I'll be fine!" She gave him a happier-looking smile though he could still sense some sadness behind it. "Perhaps I'll see you again in the future."

"Goodbye," and she walked away.


	4. Chapter 3: Death

Ylva walked on and finally arrived at the outskirts of the village where she found the same old woman who sold her the wolf fang days ago. The old woman was sitting beside her carriage that was connected to the two horses by a rope. "Obaa-san!" She exclaimed, a little surprised.

"Surprised, aren't you, dearie?" The old woman chuckled.

"Why are you here, obaa-san?" She asked curiously. The old woman smiled and patted the girl's head. "I saw what you did there in the village, I was right in saying that you had the scent of a beast. It's even stronger now." She said. "By the way, my name is Adi, which means _the first._ Call me obaa-san as before, we'll be traveling together no matter what."

"Yes?" Ylva answered though it sounded more like a question.

"Alright! Now get on board!" Adi told her as she herself got on the carriage's driver seat energetically. Ylva reluctantly got on and sat beside the old woman. The carriage began to move forward and they soon were out of the village's sights.

Ylva looked around and finally noticed that no one else was around. "Eh, obaa-san, you don't have anyone else with you?" She asked. Adi nodded. "That's right, dearie. I was traveling alone before but now that you're here with me, it won't be as lonely as before."

"But won't it be hard in case bandits come after us?" She asked. "We won't be able to defend against them."

"That's where you're wrong, dearie, I may be old but when I was younger, I was a well-known female soldier. I still got some tricks up in my sleeves. Besides, you're here with me. As I told you before, I saw your strength back in the village. Despite being a three-year old, your teeth was strong enough to pierce through the adult man's skin." Adi told her.

"That's true, then I guess I'll be in your care, obaa-san." She said politely with a bow.

"Ahahaha," Adi chuckled. "You're such a cute kid. I'm sure our travels will become more interesting than before." She said.

* * *

 _Eleven years later..._

[Narpolia Harbor, Reim Empire]

It was evening now and two important characters were sitting down in an inn with one of them writing something on the parchment while the other was overseeing his writing. The first one was a 14-year old boy with long purple hair and golden eyes while the latter was an older man with long blond hair that reached past his shoulders. He also had a goatee.

The former was Ylva's childhood friend, Sinbad, while the latter was the current king of Balbadd, Rashid Saluja or otherwise known as "Harun."

"Sinbad, this part here...you mentioned about having a childhood friend named Ylva, right?" Harun asked in curiosity. Sinbad nodded in response and kept on writing. The name was strangely familiar and as the king read on, he suddenly remembered.

"This name...! I remember now, it belongs to someone whom I've met before!" He exclaimed in surprise. Sinbad stopped writing immediately and turned his attention back to him. "Sir, what do you mean by that? You met someone with name of Ylva?" He asked.

"Yes, the meeting had happened during my journey when I had passed by the desert to meet some people before heading back to the harbor in the city that would lead me here to the Reim Empire and eventually, to meeting you." He continued.

"Please tell me, sir!" The teen begged.

"It began like this...The journey was peaceful for the most part when..."

* * *

"Y-y-your majesty! Bandits have surrounded us! Their numbers are too big for us to handle!" A guard of his shouted.

"Calm down, we just need to think of how to get out of this situation without too much trouble." He calmly spoke and most of the soldiers had indeed calmed down.

Soon, Harun was forcefully tied up together with his guards. The leader of the bandit group pointed the tip of his sword to the king's neck. "It seems your guards are just for show, eh, your majesty?" He mocked him. "Anyway, I'll be taking all your things. STRIP THEM OFF OF THEIR VALUABLES!" He ordered his subordinates.

They immediately moved forward to check out the things inside the carriage when one of them suddenly dropped dead with a hole in his chest.

It was so quick, his subordinates dropped to the ground one by one. Their heads were either beheaded or their arms were hacked off. It was a rather gory sight and the blood soon dyed the sand red.

"W-WHO'S THERE?! I DEMAND YOU TO SHOW YOURSELF!" The leader yelled out in anxiousness and fear.

"Tch, not even a good warm-up. You're quite weak, _**I can easily smell your fear, you know?**_ " The voice was undoubtedly female but there was scary intensity behind it.

Finally, the owner of the voice revealed it to be a young twelve-year old girl with vibrant crimson red hair and fiery-colored eyes. Her clothes were a bit unusual though. She was wearing bandages around her chest and a pair of cream-colored pants. There was a large skinned fur that was tied around her neck. Looking more closely, it belonged to that of a wolf's and there was also the fact that she was wearing a wolf's fang. There was an odd curved sword in her hand and a sickle strapped to her belt.

"Who are you!?" The bandit demanded once more.

"..." She did not answer and instead, moved forward in an instant and easily covered the distance between them. She swung the curved sword and easily stabbed through him.

She stood over the corpse with a manic grin on her face. "The hunt is over..." She spoke. Suddenly, she howled and a pack of desert wolves appeared from all sides. Most of them neared her and nuzzled her side.

Harun was slightly afraid but not as much as his guards at the fact that she might order the monsters to kill them but thankfully she did not. She softly patted their heads and ordered them to eat the corpses. They happily agreed with barks and yips.

Their bloody savior then approached them and raised her blade. She looked liked she was really going to kill them and the guards yelped in fear. However, Harun was not and calmly watched as she cut the ropes that bound them together.

"There, now you're free. Leave this place once you've fixed your belongings. The wolves will only eat what I tell them to do so you're safe for now." She said.

"T-thank you for saving us and his majesty!" Harun's guards spoke up loudly in gratefulness.

"I have no need for your thanks. I only intervened because these guys were hungry." She pointed to the wolves with her thumb.

"May we at least know the name of who saved us?" Harun spoke up with his hand laid against his chest. He had a kind smile on his face. Their unnamed savior looked at him from top to bottom before nodding.

"Alright, I'll tell you. People who have come across me, they call me _**Shut Hell**_." The name brought shivers to his guards' spine when she spoke in such a scary tone. Harun could feel a little bit of goosebumps form on his skin from hearing her voice but did he not show it.

"You may call me Ylva though." She added and the overwhelming pressure was gone.

"I see, then thank you, Ylva."

 _What kind of little girl have I come across?_ He thought.

* * *

"It sounds like her, she's the only one I know of having a wolf-like personality like that." Sinbad muttered. Harun nodded. "So that girl is really your childhood friend, what an interesting coincidence." He said.

"At least I know now that she's okay!" The teen said in a relieved tone. "I wish I could meet her though but right now I cannot, I'm too busy writing my autobiography and performing that I don't have the time to just go and visit her. Besides, my subordinates are arriving soon and I want to surprise them with how I managed to establish our company already." He said sadly.

Harun could hear the sadness in his tone ad decided to cheer him up. "Don't worry, Sinbad. How about I go visit your friend on my way back to Balbadd after I've finished my duties here? Try writing a letter, I'll make sure to get it to her." He said.

"Ylva can't read though from what I can remember, sir." Sinbad said.

"Then I'll teach her if she would allow me to." He told the boy in a determined tone. "Thank you, sir." Sinbad said gratefully.

* * *

Meanwhile, miles away back in the deserts that surrounded Balbadd, the said person was traveling with her wolves in a hurried pace heading to the capital of the kingdom itself, Balbadd City. The journey was quite difficult itself as their supply for water was limited. Ylva was rushing because she had received a message that the kind obaa-san who took care of her was dying.

You might be thinking. _Why on earth would she leave the old lady alone?_ The answer would be because Ylva felt like she needed freedom from the crowded streets of the city. She felt suffocated and claustrophobic. Thankfully, her surrogate grandmother understood and told her that she could leave the city as long as she would visit her often. It was a deal.

And then she was gone.

Now, Ylva was returning once more to the city after how many months since she last visited her grandmother. She soon could see the hill that would overlook the city and her pace became faster. She howled her return as soon as she saw it, the wolves howled together with her. Their howls reached the whole city.

"Those howls..." A random citizen muttered. "Ah! They're back!"

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" Many people started to shout at each other. It seemed that they knew what those howls meant. It was actually a sign that meant that Shut Hell had returned and that she needed the streets cleared. Her return was usually quite surprising as the intervals between her visits were irregular. This "thing" started after her very first visit to the city after she had left. It was a sight to behold, the citizens were in a panic when they saw the desert wolves but were eventually calmed down by the wolves' Alpha, Ylva herself.

Surprisingly enough, the news did not reach the king's ears so he did not know of Shut Hell's existence until he met her in the middle of the desert.

Anyway, the stalls were moved and eventually the streets were cleared away. Ylva saw this from atop the hill and whistled. The wolves began their descent down and ran through the streets in a hurry. Ylva was among them as they ran and they eventually arrived in front of her grandmother's home. She knocked and it was opened to reveal one of her grandmother's friends.

"Ylva-chan, you finally arrived. Your grandmother is waiting for you." She said and made way for the twelve-year old red head to pass through. "Thank you," Ylva told the lady.

She immediately went to her grandmother's room to find the old lady herself lying on bed with a blanket on her body. Adi smiled when she saw her adopted granddaughter and weakly placed her arms out. "It's been too long, dearie." She spoke.

Ylva ran to her arms and began to cry. The old lady patted her back gently in comfort and it worked. She looked up and nuzzled her grandmother's cheek. "I came as soon as I heard, obaa-san." She said. Adi chuckled at the young girl's action. "You really have become a wolf while you were been away, dearie."

"Obaa-san, you're really dying, aren't you?" Ylva asked even though she knew the answer. Her sharp senses could smell the decay on the old lady's body. Adi's death was inevitable and she knew that but was simply in denial.

Adi sighed and gave the child a sad smile. "I know you'll be sad when I'm gone Ylva but don't be, I'll still watch over you even when I return to the home of souls, Rukh."

 _Rukh?_ "Rukh? I've heard you say that before but you never really explained it before, obaa-san." Ylva stated.

"I see, so I never mentioned it to you. I shall tell you then, " Adi spoke. "Rukh is the home of souls. While we live, it is every man for them self. But when you die, all go back to one place, This is Rukh. When humans die, their bodies return to the earth don't they? The souls return to Rukh, The home of souls. **(1)** "

 _So that 's what rukh is._

"I shall remember that, obaa-san." Ylva said as she stayed in Adi's arms. It was silent for the whole moment they were together. She listened to her grandmother's heartbeat as it slowed down and eventually stopped. Her pulse was gone. She controlled her tears and wiped the traces in the corner of her eyes before it could even drop down.

" _I'll miss you..._ "

Ylva closed her grandmother's eyes before going out of the house where she saw her pack and her grandmother's friends. She did not speak but they could understand that Adi had finally died. The wolves let out a sorrowful howl while the others (the humans) cried.

"I leave her burial up to you, please take care of her...body..." She spoke in a sorrowful tone before she started to walk away with her wolves.

"WAIT!" One of them cried out and she turned her head. "Are you going away already?" He asked her and she shook her head. "No, I'll be staying in an inn for the meantime. I'll leave in around three days." She answered.

"Alright..."

And then she walked away, her bare feet touching the ground as she walked. The desert wolves were surrounding her as they moved forward together. Their ears were drooped since they could also feel their Alpha's sadness. Some who were closer to her licked her hands and she gave them a sad smile as she patted their heads.

* * *

 **A/N: (1) Taken from Magi Wikia. [Baba's words to Aladdin as she explained what Rukh was]**


End file.
